The 2026 24 Hours of Spa are on the final stretch. Two additional FCY-to-SC during the morning have resulted in 10 Pro cars still remaining on the lead lap. However, the circle of victory candidates has narrowed significantly.
There are three prominent retirements to report: The #7 Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin, winner in 2024, is out of the race following a heavy impact after a wild spin by Nicki Thiim in the Raidillon.
This time, Thiim had significantly less luck than in 2022, when he performed a similar stunt after contact with Jules Gounon.
Speaking of Gounon: The #3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing is also no longer in the race. Its race ended in the 17th hour with technical problems.
Mercedes traced the problem back to contact in the pit lane at the halfway mark, when the pit entry was briefly blocked and the AMG rear-ended the #51 AF Corse Ferrari.
The #64 HRT Ford Racing Mustang triggered the very safety car it had needed to compensate for its stop-and-go penalty from Saturday morning. Technical issues ended the race for the Mustang after 16 hours.
At the front, there was another tyre drama for the #51 AF Corse Ferrari, which had heroically fought its way back onto the lead lap during the night.
In the 19th hour, Tommaso Mosca attempted a pass on Luca Stolz in the leading #48 GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG while fighting for the lead.
Contact occurred, and the Ferrari suffered a right-rear tyre puncture. This time, it did not drop off the lead lap, but needs another Safety Car if it wants to win the race.
Porsche gaining strength
The #46 Team WRT BMW could not maintain the lead from the morning; the M4 GT3 EVO lacks that final bit of pace.
The #32 Team WRT BMW is currently «off sequence» on an alternative strategy. The #98 Rowe Racing BMW is fighting to stay on the lead lap.
As a result, the «Mamba» – the #48 Mercedes-AMG – is currently battling three Porsches for the lead that have found significant strength as the race progressed.
At 12pm, the #80 Lionspeed GP Porsche leads the race, followed by the #48 AMG that was closely trailed by the #22 Schumacher CLRT Porsche and the #2 Boutsen VDS Porsche.
The latter had contact in the morning with its sister car, the #10 Boutsen VDS Porsche from the Gold Cup, which resulted in a six-lap repair stop for the Gold Cup entry. Consequently, the #998 Rowe Racing BMW is now on its lone way to a class victory.
Also remaining on the lead lap are the #34 Walkenhorst Motorsport Aston Martin and the #50 AF Corse Ferrari. However, both cars currently lack the firepower, even in case of another safety car were to occur.
The #96 Rutronik Racing Lamborghini has meanwhile lost the lead lap as the new Temerario struggled to find pace all weekend long.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
— The Motorsport.com Team
